Most woodworking parts are relatively easy to size. Straight, square pieces can usually be handled with a table saw, jointer, and planer.
Curves and irregular shapes are different — especially when a project requires several identical parts.
That's where template routing comes in. Instead of trying to lay out and shape every workpiece individually, you make one accurate master template. That template then guides the router to produce matching parts.
The technique is straightforward: make one accurate template, rough-cut the project parts close to shape, attach the template, and use a bearing-guided router bit to trim each workpiece to its final profile.
What Is Template Routing?
Template routing is a method for duplicating a shape with a router.
The template becomes the master pattern for every part you make. A bearing or guide follows the template while the cutting edges of the router bit remove the excess material from the workpiece.
This makes the technique particularly useful for:
- Curved furniture parts
- Repeated brackets or supports
- Irregular shapes
- Arches and decorative profiles
- Multiple identical project parts
- Openings, grooves, and inlays
The most important part of the process happens before you ever turn on the router: making an accurate template.
Step 1: Make the Master Template
Because every project part will copy the template, take your time making it.
The template needs to remain flat and stable. Hardboard, MDF, and acrylic are all good choices. For many shop templates, 1/4" hardboard is an inexpensive and easy-to-shape option.
Lay out the finished shape directly on the template blank. If you're working from a woodworking plan, you can also attach a full-size paper pattern to the blank with spray adhesive.
Rough-Cut the Template
Don't try to saw directly to the finished line.
Instead, cut slightly outside the layout line at the band saw.
Leaving a small amount of waste gives you room to refine the shape without accidentally cutting into the finished profile.
Step 2: Refine the Template to Final Shape
Next, sand carefully to the layout line.
This is one place where patience pays off. Every bump, flat spot, or irregularity left on the template can be transferred to the workpieces routed from it.
For tight corners and other details that aren't easy to sand, use chisels, files, or rasps to establish the final shape.
Woodsmith Tip: Perfect the Template First. Don't count on the router to improve your template. A bearing-guided bit is designed to copy the shape it follows. Spend the extra time getting the master pattern exactly the way you want it before making any project parts.
Step 3: Rough-Cut the Project Parts
With the master template complete, use it to lay out each project part.
Position the template on the workpiece and trace around its edge.
Then head to the band saw and rough-cut the part, staying slightly outside the layout line.
Repeat the process for all of the identical parts you need.
The goal is to leave only a modest amount of material for the router to remove. The closer you can safely rough-cut the part to the finished profile, the less work the router bit needs to do.
Step 4: Attach the Template
For router-table work, attach the finished template securely to the rough-cut workpiece.
Double-sided tape is a convenient option because it holds the pieces together without clamps getting in the way of the router bit.
Make sure the surfaces are clean and that the template can't shift while routing.
Step 5: Set Up a Flush-Trim Bit
At the router table, install a flush-trim bit and adjust its height so the bearing rides completely against the edge of the template.
The bearing follows the finished template while the cutting edges remove the remaining waste from the project part.
Check the setup before routing. You want the bearing riding on the template throughout the cut without the cutting edges contacting it.
Step 6: Rout the Workpiece to Shape
With the template securely attached and the bit adjusted, you're ready to trim the part.
Carefully engage the workpiece with the bit and guide the template against the bearing as you work around the profile.
Use a steady feed rate and maintain firm control of the workpiece.
Pay Attention to Grain Direction
Curved parts can be challenging because the grain direction changes as you move around the profile. A cut that behaves smoothly in one area can become more prone to tearout as the grain changes direction.
Take light cuts where possible and pay attention to how the bit is cutting the grain. For difficult shapes or figured stock, changing the template/bit arrangement can sometimes provide a better cutting direction. That's one reason both flush-trim and pattern bits are useful to have available.
Repeat the Process for Identical Parts
Once the first part is finished, remove the template and attach it to the next rough-cut blank. The same master template establishes the final shape every time.
That's the real advantage of this technique. Instead of trying to reproduce a complex curve by measuring, laying out, sawing, and sanding each part separately, you put the effort into one accurate master template and use it to reproduce the shape.
Template Routing with a Handheld Router
A router table provides good control for many smaller and medium-sized parts, but it isn't always practical.
Large workpieces can be awkward to maneuver over a router table. And if you need to rout an opening, groove, or other feature in the middle of a panel, bringing the router to the workpiece makes more sense.
There are two useful approaches: a guide bushing with a straight bit or a bearing-guided pattern bit.
Using a Router Guide Bushing
A guide bushing mounts to the router base and follows the edge of a template while a straight bit makes the cut.
This arrangement works particularly well for operations such as plunge cuts, grooves, and inlays.
There's one important difference between this setup and a bearing-guided bit: the bushing and cutter aren't the same diameter.
That creates an offset between the template and the finished cut. You need to account for this offset when sizing and positioning the template.
Woodsmith Tip: Remember the Offset. When using a guide bushing, don't make the template the same size as the desired opening or part without first accounting for the difference between the guide bushing and router bit. That offset determines where the actual cutting edge travels.
Using a Pattern Bit
Another option for handheld template routing is a pattern bit.
A pattern bit is similar to a flush-trim bit, but the bearing is positioned above the cutting edges. This allows the template to sit on top of the workpiece where the bearing can follow it.
One thing to watch is the bit extending below the workpiece. Position and clamp the workpiece so the cutter has adequate clearance beneath it and can't contact your bench or worksurface.
Flush-Trim Bit, Pattern Bit, or Guide Bushing?
One Good Template Makes a Lot of Good Parts
Template routing is one of those techniques that becomes more useful the more projects you build.
The key isn't sophisticated equipment. It's creating one accurate master shape and allowing the router to reproduce it.
Take your time making the template. Rough-cut the project pieces close to their finished profiles. Secure the template carefully. Then let the bearing-guided router bit handle the final shaping.
Once the template is made, producing the second, third, or tenth matching part becomes considerably easier.
